Skip to content
"VC3 has made it easier than ever before for our local government to serve our citizens by providing us with modern web tools and a team
of talented and courteous professionals.
City of Valdosta, GA

Find All the Resources You Need

Our resources & insights includes case studies, client testimonials, guides, checklists, blog articles and more!

 

4 min read

Which Cloud Expert Do You Need?

which-cloud-expert-do-you-need

What comes to mind when you hear the words “cloud expert?" I suspect that what you envision, what I expect, and what some technology companies hope you will think are all very different things.

The term "cloud expert" is popping up everywhere. However, there is really no definition for what that means. What exactly is the expertise? How do you tell one “expert” from another?

It is important to look at the cloud strategically. It is not for everyone. The first thing, then, is not what someone out there means by cloud expertise. It’s what you mean by the cloud for you and your business.

Are you looking just at a cloud “starter kit” of mail, calendars, and contacts? Do you need a specific cloud-based solution for disaster recovery? Or are you looking to the cloud to run high-end or industry-specific applications?

Once you know that, the “cloud expert” you need should have expertise in that particular aspect of cloud computing gained through years of learning and working with the cloud every day. They should bring to the table recognized relationships and partnerships with established cloud providers like Microsoft or Google. They should also have the business experience to understand how all this technology will affect your business on a strategic level.

So you have decided to start your cloud journey. How do you find what you need?

Personal Cloud vs. SMB Cloud vs. Enterprise level Cloud

Personal Cloud

Perhaps the best-known example of a personal cloud is Dropbox. For people who may not be familiar with their service, it is a cloud-based service that makes it very easy to keep files synchronized between different devices and also share them with others. There is also a business version of Dropbox, but most people know Dropbox for personal use.

Knowing about personal cloud services does not a cloud expert make. The fact that I am a very experienced driver and can change my own oil and tires does not mean I am qualified to select and maintain a fleet of delivery trucks. Although it may not appear that different on screen for the average computer user, personal is not the same as business.

SMB Cloud

Most SMBs are on a public cloud system, such as Google Drive and Microsoft Office 365. For startups and small to medium-sized businesses, one of the attractions of going to the cloud is cost savings, and the public cloud is the less expensive cloud option. In fact, smaller businesses are adopting the cloud faster than larger ones.

Among businesses with fewer than 20 employees, 68 percent report having adopted the cloud in some way, with six percent saying they plan to do so within six months. Contrast that with the adoption rate of businesses with 500 to 1000 employees — only 53 percent report cloud adoption. It’s clear that the smallest companies are leading the charge.” - venturebeat.com

Among the many benefits for SMBs, the cloud limits the need for an in-house IT person, expensive capital expenditures and hardware upgrades, and huge server rooms.

Enterprise-level Cloud

Enterprise-level cloud computing is where the cloud can become a competitive advantage at a very strategic level. It turns technology costs into monthly operational expense. In a lot of cases, costs can be reduced because they are tied directly to usage, where you pay only for what you use, with instant scalability.

Risk is reduced by having no upfront capital expense, and new projects can be scaled up instantly should something really take off or shut down should a strategy fail – this can be done in massive quantities satisfying the large enterprise need.

Another consideration is private cloud systems that are more likely to be used in enterprise-level business. The private cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers similar advantages to the public cloud, including scalability and self-service, but through proprietary hardware and architecture. Unlike the public cloud, which delivers services to multiple organizations, a private cloud is dedicated to a single organization. Enterprises with high-security information will go this cloud computing route for their needs.

The cloud expert you are looking for is a specialist.

A real cloud expert will be a specialist.

This is important, as they will be answering your questions and asking you equally probing questions about things you probably haven't considered. They will look at the category you fit in and tell you if they might not be a fit for you. If you are talking to a technology provider that really only puts in SMB cloud solutions and you are an enterprise-level business, they should recognize that the relationship may not work.

Ask about other clients they work with that may be the same size or have similar product needs as you. Check their references, both the ones they give you as well as reviews online. Look for someone who will provide solutions to your specific challenges. A real cloud expert will tell you what is possible and will not be afraid to tell you what is not. Ultimately what you need to do is find yourself the one cloud expert that stands out for your specific needs.

Let's talk about how VC3 can help you AIM higher.